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YOU'RE EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME ISBN-13-9880770074082 ​ You're Everything Everywhere All the Time is an illustrated poem told in rhyming verse in which a little boy learns to personally identify with everything around him, including elements of nature, celestial bodies, animals a nd insects, other people, the intangible emotion of love, electrons, even the concepts of space and time. Available at amazon.com as an e-book or in paperback format. Also available on smashwords.com in e-pub format. ​ Any purchaser ma request via email an MP3 of the song version of the book. Press the play button to hear the song version! BUY IT @ amazon BUY IT @ smashwords IT'LL BE IRIE "It'll be Irie" is a story about a boy named Raymond who moves with his parents from the island of Jamaica to Jamaica Queens in New York City. Raymond does everything he can to prepare himself to be the best American he can be! But when Raymond tries to make his best impression, everything he tries only leaves his new classmates confused. It's not until Raymond shares with them a piece of what he loves most about Jamaica, that he begins to have the courage to be himself. Published by Cardinal Rule Press. ​ BUY IT @ Amazon BUY IT @ Cardinal Rule Press It'll be Irie is coming to the stage! Based on the picture book, with a greatly expanded story, this fun, new musical will inspire you to sing along while you root for Raymond and feel irie! Click the link below to check out the web site for more info! IT'LL BE IRIE THE MUSICAL Read-aloud stories, Jamaican patois lessons and more! My You Tube Kids Channel features "Time for a Tale With Donn" where I read some of my favorite picture books by other authors and my "It'll be Irie" video series where I play Raymond's Uncle Phil sharing lessons on how to speak Jamaican patois and a sing-along of a Jamaican folk song! Time for a Tale With Donn Swaby

If you'd like to inquire about scheduling a reading event or you just want to say hello, please leave your contact info to the right. Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you!​ Other ways to contact me at: donnswaby@yahoo.com facebook.com/donnswabytheauthor pinterest.com/donnswaby Name * Email * Subject Message Success! Message received. Send

I offer editorial service on picture book manuscripts between 500 and 1200 words. I will review your work and provide from one to two pages of detailed notes. All genres accepted. Fee: $65 I also offer script coverage: Feature Film Scripts. (120 pages max) Up to 5 pages of notes Fee: $300 Short Film Scripts (25 pages max) Up to 2 pages of notes. Fee: $100. To inquire about my editorial service, please send me a message on my contact page. ​ TESTIMONIALS ​ “ In the years I have known Donn, he has generously lent his time and expertise in reviewing many feature film scripts for me that I have received from writers. He is professional and reliable. He has always given clear, insightful, thought- pro voking analysis within several pages of detailed notes, not only offering the writer plenty of suggestions in relation to the script elements of plot, story structure, tone, character arcs, rising action, etc., he also asks the right questions that allows the writer to continue exploring and developing new aspects of their screenplay. I hi ghly recommend hiring Donn for script coverage. He knows his stuff and will help raise the quality of your script to the next level.” - Frank Barwah – Producer - Bodied (with Eminem) and Son of the South (with Spike Lee) ​ ​

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ There’s nothing I love more than visiting schools and sharing my stories with students while inspiring them to express their own creativity and imagination! I offer two programs: 1. “You’re Everything Everywhere All the Time!” 30-minute program for Pre-K – 2nd grades Repeated twice on a full day and half days Meet the Author Presentation w/ Slide Show - My journey to becoming an author - The writing and publication process - Finding sources of inspiration for your imagination Brain Break Activity Interactive Storytime and Q&A Sing-along Book Signing 2. “Just be You!” 50-minute program for 3rd -5th grades repeated in three class assemblies on a full day or one general assembly on a half day. Impact: Encouragement to express one’s genuine personality. Itinerary: Meet the Author Presentation w/ Slide Show - My journey to becoming an author - The writing and publication process - Finding sources of inspiration for your imagination Brain Break activity Interactive Storytime - “It’ll be Irie” and Q&A Storytelling Games Book Signing *Presentation schedule for a Full Day (4 hours) 9:00 - 9:30 a.m. - “You’re Everything!” program, PreK-K 9:45 – 10:15 a.m. – “You’re Everything!" program, Grade 1 10:30 – 11:00 a.m. - “You’re Everything!” program, Grade 2 11:15-12:10 a.m. - - “Just be You!” program, Grade 3 12:15 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. - Lunch Break 1:00 -1:50 p.m. -- “Just be You!” program, Grade 4 2:00 – 2: 45 p.m. “Just be You!” program, Grade 5 *Schedule can be modified. This is an example ​ *Presentation schedule - Half Day (2 hours) 9:00 - 9:30 a.m. - “You’re Everythin g!” program, Pre K & K 9:45 – 10:40 a.m. – “You’re Everything!” program, Grades 1 & 2 11:00-11:30 a.m. - - “Just be You!” program, Grade 3-5 (assembly) *Schedule can be modified. This is an example *Fees: Full Day – 4 hours: $500 Half Day – 2 hours: $250 Virtual – 1 hour: $125 *Does not include travel expense. Schools that have free lunch programs or are registered as Title 1 schools are eligible for a discounted rate. In addition, upon booking an Author Visit with me, one free copy of "It'll be Irie" will be donated to the school's library. I do my best to work with your school's budget. There are also other ways to book me for an Author Visit, such as procuring student book sales in advance of the event day. Please contact me if interested and we can always work something out! ​ Here is a link to a site with on formation on grants and how to obtain funding for your school's Author Visit: ​ ​ If you’d like to inquire about my availability for an author visit, or if you have any questions, please email on the contact page. I look forward to hearing from you! ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ "Donn was a fabulous addition to our Read Across America and Meet an Author events! His story reading and accompanying guitar playing thoroughly engaged the students (and teachers)! We could always depend on his enthusiastic participation and passion for the power of words!" - Cynthia Lowe - elementary school teacher - Los Angeles, CA ​ "As a retired educator, one of my favorite things to do is read to children, and one of my favorite books to read is “You’re Everything, Everywhere, All the Time.” When this book first came out, I was privileged to read it to groups of first graders at a local public school. The student discussion before and during reading was rich, but it didn’t end with our sessions. Classroom teachers kept the conversations going as students wondered and asked questions. “Which illustration does the author like best?” “Does he like to hike and be outdoors?” “How can he use his imagination to create so many different kinds of trees and flowers?" "With the support of the school media specialist, a zoom meeting was set up with Donn Swaby in which he re-read his book, played his guitar and sang the book lyrics, and answered many of the students’ questions! What a remarkable experience! If it’s not possible for a school to host an in-person visit from Donn Swaby, a virtual visit is a great choice!" - Martha Hodgkins - retired educator - Spring Hill, FL ​ "Including your song in the end was a great closing to your story. We enjoyed both story and song! The way you expressed how our Universe is a part of us and how we are part of it at the primary level was well put." - Glenda Mendizabal - first grade teacher, Glenfeliz Boulevard Elementary School- Los Angeles, CA ​ "I enjoyed Donn reading his book and explaining important words, especially the Jamaican accent." - Ms. Goto - third grade teacher - Glenfeliz Boulevard Elementary School - Los Angeles, CA "My favorite part was your reading your storybook. I also enjoyed your story building activities. I also learned some fun and creative ways to get my kids writing!" - Amy Cox - fourth grade teacher - Glenfeliz Boulevard Elementary School - Los Angeles, CA ​ "We loved to see and hear from an author and illustrator right here in Spring Hill! It makes books so much more real!" - K. Blanton - 4th grade teacher at Spring Hill Elementary School - Spring Hill, Florida ​ "Your visit was very fun and engaging, especially for the Pre-K class! Our students learned new vocabulary and the hand movements that went along with those words were a great, engaging idea! Our students walked away knowing they or anyone can be a writer. We loved everything about your visit!" Kristen Mitchell - Pre-K teacher - Spring Hill Elementary School - Spring Hill, Florida ​ "I thought the Author Visit was a great experience! The kids had a lot of fun! My favorite part was when the kids were able to create their own stories in different ways. I loved the book that was shared; It was very cute and kid-friendly!" - Ms. Jones - 3rd grade teacher - Spring Hill Elementary School - Spring Hill, Florida ​ "Very interesting and animated! Students loved hearing about the book!" - Ms. Casson - 4th grade teacher - Spring Hill Elementary School - Spring Hill, Florida "Very entertaining! I loved how engaged the students were. They really loved hearing the story in a Jamaican accent! My favorite part was hearing how certain parts of the book were based on real life events. Thank you for coming to our school and sharing your story with our students!" Michelle Ladines - 3rd grade teacher - Challenger K-8 - Spring Hill, Florida ​ Reading Excerpt: It'll be Irie Sing-Along: You're Everything Everywhere all the Time VIDEOS Grants - Funding

Hello and welcome to my site! My love for children's books began during my early childhood. Every Saturday, my mother would take me and my brother to the local library. We'd both come out with a tall stack of books. As I got older, I fell in love with novels such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory series. At the same time, my love for Indiana Jones films and the Star Wars film series sparked my lifelong love of reading science fiction, and non-fiction topics like archaeology, ancient civilizations, mythology and world cultures. ​ I'd discovered my passion for writing as an adolescent, starting with poetry, short stories and stage plays. A s an adult, I've written music and res taurant reviews, interviews, arts and leisure articles for magazines and political blogs for Huffington Post. ​ As a volunteer reader in elementary schools, I got to share with students some of my favorite authors, like the late author & illustrator Gerald McDermott, who elegantly captured the magic of folk tales from cultures around the world. ​ Reading to students made me fall in love with the magic of children's books all over again. Before I knew it, I was writing stories specifically for children, falling into the categories of picture books and middle grade. ​ While it is a joy to read to children, It is an honor and privilege to write stories for them. If you'd like to schedule an online reading event with me, please click on the School Visits page for info! BUY THE BOOK To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. MY BOOKS

It'll be Irie Book Launch! My book launch events for the debut of my picture book "It'll be Irie" have been nothing less than awesome and so much fun! I'm so grateful and blessed to have my family and friends show up to help me celebrate! I'm grateful to my publishing family at Cardinal Rule Press, who have gone above and beyond to make this milestone in my writing career so special. I'm also grateful to my critique group of amazing writers for all of their support and encouragement, and last, but not least, all of the amazing book stores in Los Angeles who've hosted the events. Check out the trailer for my upcoming picture book, "It'll Be Irie" and watch Raymond, an ambitious little boy from Jamaica as he prepares to move to America! "It'll Be Irie" debuts July 1, 2023 ******** NEWS AND EVENT S: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Check out my video series, " Time for a Tale With Donn " on my You Tube channel, where I read some of my favorite picture books, both contemporary and classics as well as the "Uncle Phil" video series where Raymond's Uncle Phil teaches Jamaican patois, shares funny stories and even teaches a Jamaican folk song! Click here to go to my You Tube Channel: I am always busy revising and submitting new manuscripts as well as planning more school visits in the Los Angeles area to promote my rhyming picture book, You're Everything Everywhere All the Time . Please visit my SCHOOL VISITS page for more info! I will post any news or event info right here, so please check back now and again. Thank you! Donn Time for a Tale Wih Donn

Welcome to my Blog Page! I post my thoughts here about books I've read as well as anything pertaining to the world writing and children’s books. Thank you for reading and please feel free to respond back with comments My Journey to Becoming a Published Children's Book Author The moment I’d read the email from Cardinal Rule Press CEO Maria Dismondy offering me a publishing contract for my picture book... Radio Theatre for Your Soul Podcast Reading! My dear friend and colleague Shonnese Coleman invited me to read my new picture book, "It'll be Irie" on her podcast, Radio Theatre For... TRAILER for "It'll Be Irie" Raymond is so excited to move to America! While still in Jamaica, he does everything he can to prepare. But when Raymond finally arrives... Linstead Market - a Jamaican folk song sung by Raymond's Uncle Phil! Raymond's Uncle Phil sings the Jamaican folk song Linstead Market To pre-order your copy of the picture book "It'll be Irie" use this... Uncle PhiIn this video, Raymond's Uncle Phil shares the tl's Top Five Favorite Things About JAMAICA! In this video, Raymond's Uncle Phil shares the top five things that come to mind when he thinks of Jamaica. The picture book "It'll be... Children's Picture Book Reading: Uncle Phil reads "Tiger Soup" An Anansi story from Jamaica! Uncle Phil reads "Tiger Soup" an Anansi (the spider) story from Jamaica! Anansi, a trickster character in folk stories originating in... How to Speak Jamaican Patois with Uncle Phil - Lesson #3 Uncle Phil is back with another fun Jamaican patois lesson! His nephew Raymond's book "It'll be Irie" arrives July 1st 2023! Published... How to Speak Jamaican Patois - Lesson #2 by Raymond's Uncle Phil! Hey mon! Get ready for another super fun Jamaican patois lesson from Raymond's Uncle Phil! The picture book "It'll be Irie" arrives July... How to Speak Jamaican Patois with Raymond's Uncle Phil: Lesson 1 Raymond's Uncle Phil is back to teach you some Jamaican patois! (# Music: Sun's Rise by Silent Partner - You Tube Audio Library) The... Meet Raymond's Uncle Phil! Meet Uncle Phil! His nephew, Raymond, is about to move from Jamaica to Queens, New York! Uncle Phil wants to share some fun stories about... 1 2 3 Recent Posts My Journey to Becoming a Published Children's Book Author Radio Theatre for Your Soul Podcast Reading! TRAILER for "It'll Be Irie" Linstead Market - a Jamaican folk song sung by Raymond's Uncle Phil! Uncle PhiIn this video, Raymond's Uncle Phil shares the tl's Top Five Favorite Things About JAMAICA! Children's Picture Book Reading: Uncle Phil reads "Tiger Soup" An Anansi story from Jamaica! How to Speak Jamaican Patois with Uncle Phil - Lesson #3 How to Speak Jamaican Patois - Lesson #2 by Raymond's Uncle Phil! How to Speak Jamaican Patois with Raymond's Uncle Phil: Lesson 1 Meet Raymond's Uncle Phil! Search By Tags No tags yet. Follow Me